The rate of build-up of CO2 in the atmosphere can be reduced by taking advantage of the
fact that atmospheric CO2 can accumulate as carbon in vegetation and soils in terrestrial
ecosystems. Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change any process, activity or
mechanism which removes a greenhouse gas from the atmosphere is referred to as a
"sink". Human activities impact terrestrial sinks, through land use, land-use change
and forestry (LULUCF) activities, consequently, the exchange of CO2 (carbon cycle) between
the terrestrial biosphere system and the atmosphere is altered.

The role of LULUCF activities in the mitigation of climate change has long been recognized.
Mitigation can be achieved through activities in the LULUCF sector that increase the removals of
greenhouse gases (GHGs) from the atmosphere or decrease emissions by sources leading to an
accumulation of carbon stocks. An important feature of LULUCF activities in this context is their
potential reversibility hence, non-permanence of the accumulated carbon stocks.

Forests present a significant global carbon stock accumulated through growth of trees and an increase
in soil carbon. Estimates made for Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010 (FRA 2010) show that the world’s forests store
more than 650 gigatonnes (1 Gt=1 billion tonnes) of carbon, 289 Gt in the biomass (44 percent), 72 Gt
in dead wood and litter (11 percent) and 292 Gt in soil (45 percent). While sustainable management,
planting and rehabilitation of forests can conserve or increase forest carbon stocks, deforestation,
degradation and poor forest management do reduce carbon stocks. For the world as a whole, carbon
stocks in forest biomass decreased by an estimated 0.5 Gt annually during the period 2005–2010.
This was mainly because of a reduction in the global forest area.

Croplands and grasslands also play an important role in the global carbon cycle, however, most of the
carbon stocks of these lands are found in the below-ground plant organic matter and soil.

The emergence of and continuing significance of issues related to LULUCF has stimulated cooperation
with many organizations and institutions with forestry and agriculture experiences.

The United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF).
The UNFF is an intergovernmental process with the objective of promoting the management, conservation
and sustainable development of all types of forests. It allows forest policy dialogue facilitated by
the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) and the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF).

The Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations (FAO). The Forestry Department of FAO has considerable experience in, among
others, building capacity in developing countries and in assessing the global status of forests. Its
work includes the publication of the Global Forest Resources Assessment as a contribution to
knowledge on the state of the world’s forests.

The Collaborative Partnership on Forests
(CPF). The CPF is s an innovative interagency partnership on forests comprising 14 international
organizations, institutions and secretariats that have substantial programmes on forests. The mission
of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests is to promote sustainable management of all types of
forests and to strengthen long-term political commitment to this end.